This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
In the handling, processing, and transport of various substances (e.g., fluids, gases, vapors, liquids, solids, particulates, slurries, etc.), erosion of the associated equipment (e.g., pumps, fans, valves, piping, fittings, vessels, process equipment, machines, turbines, etc.) can occur. For example, equipment subjected to high velocity flow of a fluid may experience erosion, wear, abrasion, pitting, and the like. Such erosion can be greater or magnified where a flowing fluid contains solids or solid particles, for example. Moreover, such erosion can be greater at bends, turns, or other points or paths in a system where the equipment is subjected to centrifugal forces of a flowing fluid.
In general, erosion or pitting can cause premature failure of equipment, costly downtime of equipment and processes, undesirable releases of substances to the environment, and so on. In response, an approach in the art has been to fabricate or line components (which are subjected to erosive or abrasive flow) with hardened metals or with cermets, for example. However, such erosion-resistant materials can be relatively expensive. Further, such materials can have low ductility and be brittle, and therefore, prone to cracking or premature failure, difficult to fabricate (e.g., mold, machine, etc.), and so on.